


Soar

by Captain_carisma



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:15:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26576647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_carisma/pseuds/Captain_carisma
Summary: Modern Day A/U. After nearly 10 years apart, Adora and Catra are starting to reconnect slowly, although some things just can't be helped. Adora invites Catra to join her for the afternoon to share something close to her. Needless to say, realisations are had, feelings are shared, and things start to get physical.ORAdora and Catra do a thing. Smut ensues.(NB: I own nothing)Edited 27/11/20: Fixed a few spelling/grammar mistakes and re-written a couple of paragraphs to fix one or two minor issues and improve story flow.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 188
Collections: Catradora to reread





	Soar

“Adora, where _are_ we going?”

Catra wriggled in the passenger seat of Adora’s red convertible as she tried to work out where they were headed, the end of her tail rapping against her thigh in a mix of curiosity and irritation. Adora had picked Catra up from outside her apartment building thirty minutes ago and immediately headed out of the city. The busy metropolis of Brightmoon had fallen away behind them, leaving them surrounded by nothing but hedgerows and corn fields.

“You’ll see soon enough. We’re almost there.” Adora threw a lopsided grin at Catra before returning her attention to the country lane they were currently barrelling down. She was dressed in her signature white long sleeve and grey slacks, her red jacket abandoned on the back seat in favour of a pair of mirrored aviators to shield her eyes against the early afternoon sun. Her hair, pulled back in its usual ponytail, danced wildly in the wind as they sped along, roof down, taking full advantage of the warm Saturday afternoon.

The Magicat stretched her legs out in the footwell and readjusted her tail again, beginning to regret the last minute decision to throw on her favourite leather jacket, the early afternoon heat starting to make her uncomfortable. Adora had just told her to dress comfy, so she wore a maroon vest top and skinny jeans. She’d put her usual foot wrappings on, opting to forgo actual shoes. _She’d said comfy, right?_ A plain black headband, tucked just behind her ears, kept her hair out of her face, now that it was starting to grow back out again after being so short for so long.

As she settled back in her seat she studied Adora’s profile, a smile tugging at her lips.

Despite how long it had been, she was still the same gorgeous, goofy, dork she’d known way back when. A little more care-worn around the edges, a little more tired, maybe, but still genuine and open. 

After reconnecting a few months ago, after Adora had _literally_ crashed straight back into her life, they’d been meeting up for lunch or grabbing coffee whenever they could. Despite their history together, they'd both agreed they would need to spend some time to get to know each other again. Catra had resolved to keep the feelings she still carried for Adora buried, at least, for the time being. She finally had the second chance she'd always longed for, and she'd be damned if she was going to fuck it up.

But it hadn’t quite worked out that way. It had been two weeks since _it_ had happened. 

The plan had been to just spend the afternoon hanging out at Catra’s apartment, watching movies, catching up, and just spending some time together.

As she had given her a tour of her apartment, Adora had spotted the canvas hidden under a sheet in the corner of her home office. Catra, usually guarded about her personal life, had never shared any of her artwork with anyone, including Scorpia, who was _always_ pestering her about her artwork. But that afternoon she found herself explaining how she’d taken it up as an outlet. Web design paid the bills, but painting was a way for her to relax and decompress. An outlet for whatever was on her mind. She hadn’t thought twice about sharing something so personal to her with Adora.

If you asked her, she couldn’t explain how it had happened. How one minute they’d been sat on her sofa, laughing at something dumb they’d done an age ago. How they’d both gone quiet, staring at each other. How she’d been weak and given in to desire. How Adora had readily given back. How her body became pinned beneath Adora’s, their lips dancing together, battling for dominance, hands roaming all over each other's bodies. 

She couldn’t explain how they’d ended up in her bed, either; just that it was where they had spent the rest of the afternoon, in a state of satiated bliss.

Catra’s cheeks reddened deeply at the memory.

_Stop it. Not now. Pay attention._

She mentally banished those thoughts for later, trying to ignore the heat that had started to build in her. 

Thankfully Adora hadn’t noticed her blushing.

To distract herself from straying down that path further, Catra tried to concentrate on the road in front of them. 

Hedgerow. Field. Field. Large Tree. Hedgerow. Field.

She rolled her eyes and let out a quiet, frustrated, groan. 

Catra was about to ask her where they were going for maybe the tenth time that afternoon, when Adora suddenly slowed the car and pulled over into a small layby, shutting the engine off. In the sudden quiet, all Catra could hear was the gentle rustling of the wind through leaves and the plinking of the engine as it began to cool. The hedgerows were lower here, and Adora seemed to be looking for something in one of the fields that surrounded them. 

“So, you know how you, uh... shared your, um... artwork with me the other week?” Adora asked, eyes still searching the surrounding fields.

“Well, yeah. I _was_ there, dummy…” Catra answered slowly, cocking an eyebrow. _Where was this going?_

Adora seemed to find what she was looking for. She looked fully at Catra, and despite the aviators, Catra could see the slightly nervous look that flashed across her face.

“Well, I… I wanted to share something with you, too. Y’know, something kinda… special to me.”

Her gaze went back to the field over Catra’s shoulder, and she nodded once, gesturing to something.

“I thought we could give it a go together.” 

Catra turned in her seat to look in the direction Adora indicated, not exactly sure what she was supposed to be looking for. _A tractor or something? We going to plough some fields?_

She heard it before her eyes landed on its source, her ears twitching as she picked up the soft whistle and quiet rush of moving air, the only sound that gave its presence away.

Her eyes widened as they landed on the sleek white glider as it approached. It hung low in the air, like a giant bird hovering in the wind, its wings unfurled wide. It was so low she imagined she could almost reach up and pluck it from the air like a toy. Her head swivelled to follow as it passed directly over the car and disappeared behind the hedgerow beyond.

Her eyes dropped to Adora, who sat with a nervous smile. She pushed her aviators up, revealing the earnest look in her bright blue eyes.

“Flying?” Catra asked with a smirk, eyebrows raised, a single canine catching her lower lip. 

“Well, technically it's, y’know, gliding. Or... Soaring, if you prefer, I guess.” Adora laughed nervously. Her smile slowly morphed into a worried frown. “W-we don’t have to. If you don’t want to, y’know. I mean, I know it's not… ah, everyone’s idea of fun. I mean, I think it's pretty cool, but I, um, I know not everyone likes to… uh...” 

Catra could see Adora was starting to get herself worked up. She’d witnessed this many times during high school, whenever Adora got anxious about an upcoming game or some assignment that was due the next day. Catra had always been the one to calm her down and stop her from spiralling out of control.

She wrapped her tail around Adora’s wrist, distracting her from rambling further. “Hey” She looked up at Adora with a soft smile, willing her to relax. “Sounds like fun.”

Adora let out a deep breath and relaxed a little, her frown easing. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why not?” Catra leant over, bumping her shoulder with Adora’s. “Can’t be any worse than that roller coaster at Thaymore Fun Park, right?”

Adora threw her head back and laughed. “Oh god! I’d almost forgotten about that! How long were we stuck on that thing? Two, no, three hours?”

“Three. And I got in so much shit for that one” Catra grimaced slightly at the memory. 

Before Adora could comment further, Catra stretched out in her seat again. “Come on, princess, we’re not getting any younger here.” 

Adora slid her aviators back down again before restarting the engine. “Right. Let's do this!”

* * *

It had taken another ten minutes to arrive at their final destination. They turned at an unmarked gate in yet _another_ hedgerow, coming to a stop in a small, gravelled car park. Adora shut the engine off, throwing a quick grin at Catra before jumping out. Catra followed, taking the opportunity to stretch her arms and tail now they were out of the confines of the small convertible.

As Adora reached into the back seat to grab her rucksack, Catra took in their surroundings. At the far end of the car park she could see a small, single storey building, little more than a glorified port-a-cabin, with a faded orange windsock fluttering limply from a pole on one corner. A large sign stood by the entrance, faded letters spelling out “Brightmoon Gliding Club”. Behind the clubhouse she could see a hangar, its doors wide open, a few gliders tucked away inside. Beyond the hangar, the grass airstrip spread out as far as she could see. A couple of gliders sat out in the open next to _Is that a double decker bus?_

Adora came and stood next to Catra, bag slung over her shoulder. As they watched, another glider circled gracefully above them. Catra’s eyes followed, entranced, as the glider appeared to hover for a moment, before smoothly dipping its wings and banking away. 

Catra had travelled for six months after finishing her degree, and had been a typical adrenaline junkie; bungee jumping, snowboarding, downhill mountain biking. She still rode an old Triumph motorcycle, and went rock climbing whenever she could justify taking short breaks from work. But this? This was something she’d never experienced before. 

Adora bumped Catra’s elbow, breaking her reverie. “Come on, let's go get signed in.”

Catra gazed at the glider for a few more moments before she realised Adora was already striding away. Jogging to catch up, she fell in step beside Adora as they crossed the gravel towards the clubhouse.

She flicked her tail against Adora’s leg and wiggled her eyebrows “So, you come out here often?”

Adora snorted. “Smooth”

Catra just smirked, flashing her canine again.

“Come on, Romeo.” Adora grabbed Catra’s hand, tugging her towards the clubhouse. Catra couldn’t help the easy smile that rose, or the fluttering in her stomach, at the feeling of Adora’s hand in her own.

Adora kept hold of Catra’s hand as she pushed open the clubhouse door, ushering her inside first. They stepped into a small, cluttered office that also served as the club reception. A small desk, buried under piles of paperwork and an ancient looking computer, sat in the middle of the office, an overflowing filing cabinet squeezed in one corner, a door through to what looked like a classroom in the other. A couple of wooden chairs were pushed against the same wall as the entrance, presumably intended as a waiting area. Faded travel posters tacked to the walls did little to hide pale yellow paint that was peeling all over the place.

A bespectacled, grey-haired gentleman sat at the desk, apparently fighting with the computer. He was so engrossed, cursing under his breath as he punched angrily at the keyboard, that he seemingly failed to register their arrival.

Catra glanced at Adora, eyebrow arched in amusement. 

Adora removed her aviators and just rolled her eyes. “Afternoon Bill!" She called brightly.

The gentleman, Bill, continued to angrily jab at the keyboard for a few more moments, before pushing the keyboard away in disgust, nearly dislodging several piles of paperwork, muttering one final curse under his breath.

 _“Stupid piece of_ … Adora!” He smiled brightly as he looked up. “You know how I hate this useless piece of junk. How’re you keeping?”

“I’m great, thanks! Bill, this is my friend, Catra. I’ve booked her in as my plus one for today”.

Catra couldn’t help notice the older gentleman's smile grew a little wider as he registered her presence next to Adora, noting their joined hands. “Catra, welcome to Brightmoon Gliding Club.” He started pulling paperwork from one of the many piles on the desk. “Have you flown with us before?”

“Um, no. This is my first time.” Catra shrugged.

“Ah, wonderful. You’re in excellent hands. Just need you to fill in a couple of consent forms and then we can get you set up with the safety brief”. He smiled at them both as he clipped a few sheets of paper to a clipboard which he handed to Catra, retrieving a pen from somewhere on the desk. 

Catra reluctantly dropped Adora’s hand as she took the proffered clipboard and pen before perching on one of the wooden chairs to fill in the forms. Catra half watched Adora interacting with Bill as she began filling in the forms in front of her.

“Is Swifty out on the field?” Adora asked, biting her lip.

Bill scribbled a few notes on another piece of paper before looking up. “Oh, yes. Noelle took her up for a quick test flight earlier this morning.”

_“Awesome!”_

Catra suppressed a giggle as she watched Adora pump her fist excitedly. _Such a dork_. She quickly finished filling in the consent forms before standing and handing the clipboard back to Bill.

He gave them a quick once over, before rising from the desk and indicating the doorway in the corner. “This all looks good. Come on through to the briefing room and I’ll get you set up with the safety video.”

Catra glanced over at Adora questioningly.

“I need to fill in some more paperwork first. You go ahead; I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” Adora gave Catra a reassuring smile.

She let herself be led into the briefing room, dropping into one of the chairs facing a TV/DVD Combo that appeared equally as ancient as the computer in the office next door.

“This is a short Safety Video we show to all members and their guests.” Bill explained as he grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. “It lasts about 15 minutes, and covers basic safety whilst you’re here at the club, what to do in an emergency, etc. Once it’s finished, we’ll find you a locker to put your valuables in and you can head out onto the airfield. Any questions?” 

Catra just shook her head.

“Ok, make yourself comfy, and I’ll come and collect you once the video’s finished”. Bill hit play on the DVD before making his way back into the office. He paused to remove the wedge holding the door open and let it swing shut behind him as he went back to the office desk. 

Catra looked back at Adora, who gave her a brilliant smile, her blue eyes sparkling, before the door snapped shut and blocked her from sight.

After staring at the door for a moment, Catra sighed and turned her attention back to the TV screen as the safety video started playing.

_“Welcome to Brightmoon Gliding Club, a National Gliding Association approved training center....”_

* * *

“You’ve got it bad for her, haven’t you?” Bill chuckled as he settled himself behind the desk once again.

Adora snapped her eyes away from the now closed door to see Bill watching her over the rim of his glasses. “What? No! Shut Up!” she huffed, despite the rising colour on her cheeks.

“Uh huh. This is the first time I’ve ever known you to use one of your guest passes. And I’ve known you since the day you joined this club.” He stated pointedly.

Adora stared back at him defiantly for a few moments, before admitting defeat. “Yeah, Ok. Whatever.” She looked at her feet, suddenly shy in front of her old friend.

He regarded her for a moment. He’d met Adora when she’d first joined the club as a University student. In all that time, he’d never seen her like this.

“You look happy.” He stated gently. “Happier than I think I’ve ever seen you.”

She felt her entire face heat up. She stayed silent, eyes still fixed on her shoes.

With a final, knowing, look, Bill returned his attention to the paperwork on the desk. “Come on, then. Let's get you two set. Got your logbook and licence?” 

Adora perked up immediately, silently thankful for the change in topic. She reached into her backpack, pulling out a small green book.

“Right here”.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Bill fetched Catra from the briefing room, showing her into a small locker room where she stashed her leather jacket and everything from her pockets except her phone. He then led her back through to the office where Adora was waiting.

_“Hey, Adora.”_

“Hey, you.” Adora gave Catra a lopsided grin. 

“She’s all set. From here on, she’s yours to do with as you please. Within reason, of course.” Bill made a dismissive wave as he settled behind his desk to go over yet more paperwork.

Throwing a small wave to Bill in return, she pushed open the entrance and stepped back outside into the early afternoon sun. Catra stepped out right behind her, giving a satisfied hum to be back out in the open again.

Adora grabbed Catra’s hand again and started leading her across the grass.

“Survived the safety video, then?”

“Yeah, _‘Mobiles off, Watch where you’re going, Avoid the big flying bathtubs’_ Yadda yadda yadda.” She replied with a dismissive wave. “Basically, _‘Don’t be Stupid’_. Pretty much common sense. Although Bill said if I put my phone in ‘flight’ mode I could take it with me and take some pictures if I wanted.” 

Adora nodded. “Yeah, that's cool. It’s a clear day, so you should be able to get some good shots, if you want to.”

As they got closer to where the gliders were sat on the grass, she could now see it was, indeed, an old double-decker bus, painted in checkered red and white. A few people were lounging on the grass next to the bus, taking advantage of the warm weather as a bright yellow Land Rover trundled slowly towards the far end of the airfield.

“So, how's this going to work then?” Catra asked, ears pitching towards Adora attentively.

“First, its Glider Familiarisation and Safety Check” Adora reeled off, a look of intense concentration on her face. Catra almost snorted. “Second is Pre-Flight Checks, Third is Launch Prep. Fourth is _Go Time!_ ” She finished with an enthusiastic fist pump, which really did garner a snort from Catra.

“You’re such an idiot” She shook her head at the stupid grin on Adora’s face.

Adora gave Catra a playful shove. “Aw, you actually like me!”

Catra just rolled her eyes. “I do _not_ like you.” She shot back, defensively. 

They’d come to a stop near to where the gliders rested. The group lounging in the grass paid them no attention as they bantered.

“So” Catra glanced around playfully, hands on her hips. “When’s Maverick gonna show up and take me to heaven and back?” She smirked, teasingly, her tail swaying lazily.

Adora chuckled, before matching Catra’s stance, arms folded. She sucked a breath in between her teeth. “Ah, see, I asked, but he was too busy hitting on Kelly McGillis.” She faked an apologetic shrug, earning a chuckle from Catra. “I’m afraid you’re just gonna have to settle for me, instead.”

Catra’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt. She’d assumed that they’d take turns going up with another pilot. It hadn’t occurred to her that they would actually be going up _together_. That _Adora_ would be the one to actually be in control. She didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to her until that point. 

Adora noticed the way Catra’s face went slack, her tail stilling, ears flattened against her head. She could see Catra's mind going a mile a minute behind her mismatched eyes, obviously trying to process what she'd just said. 

She wanted to kick herself. She was so caught up in her own excitement she never considered how Catra would react. If Catra was comfortable putting her trust in her like that. Adora started to panic slightly. _She's a Magicat for fuck's sake! Not a bird! What was I thinking?!_

In an effort to calm both herself and the brunette, she reached out and took hold of Catra’s hands, giving them a firm squeeze to get her attention.

“Hey, you OK there?” Adora looked into Catra’s heterochromatic eyes, her own filled with concern.

“Y-yeah” Catra shook her head slowly, as though clearing cobwebs. “I just… It never occurred to me that you’d… y’know, be the one…” She trailed off quietly, looking down at the grass at their feet.

Adora gripped Catra’s hands tighter, waiting until the Magicat brought her gaze back to hers again.

“Hey. You don’t have to do this, if you don’t want to. I know I sprung this on you, and I’m sorry. I got so carried away with sharing this with you I never really stopped to think if you’d be ok with it.” Adora regarded Catra with a small smile. She fought to keep a wave of disappointment from washing over her. “If you want to get out of here and head back, I’ll understand.”

In that moment, Catra realised just how much this actually meant to Adora. She could see the struggle going on behind those deep blue eyes as they stared back at her. The way Adora placed Catra’s well being before her own. She’d been the same when they were growing up, always placing others before herself. She always gave so much of herself and never asked for anything in return. It was one of the things that made Adora who she was.

And in that moment, she realised how stupid she was being. How any doubts, any fears she may or may not have, meant nothing. Not if they were together. Not if she was with Adora. And if she was honest, it just reminded her why she fell in love with the blonde idiot in the first place. 

Catra wasn’t sure if Adora wanted her the same way that she wanted her, _still wanted her_ , but she would be damned if she would let the chance to put Adora first and show her how much she wanted to be a part of her life go to waste.

Instead of saying anything, Catra took a step towards Adora. She closed the space between them until their bodies were practically pressed together. She placed her hands gently on Adora’s cheeks, the confusion battling on her face making Catra smirk. She pushed up on her toes and gently placed her lips on Adoras.

It was brief, and chaste, and in _no way_ went nearly as far as she wanted it to. But it got Adora's attention. As she pulled away, she could feel a small smile growing on Adora’s face.

She dropped her hands onto Adora's biceps, resisting the urge to give them a squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere, dummy.” Her voice was hoarse, full of unspoken emotion. “We’re doing this, alright?” Her smirk was back in full force again, voice a little stronger. “Besides, I’m eager to see what _She-Ra’s_ got”

Adora threw her head back and laughed. She hadn’t heard _that_ name in a long time.

 _Worth it_. Catra mentally high-fived herself

“You’re sure?” It was Adora’s turn to smirk at Catra, eyebrow raised, still high off their kiss.

“I'm sure, _princess_. And this is _not_ because I like you” Catra replied. 

For somewhere between an eternity and a few seconds, they just stared at each other, stupid smiles plastered on both their faces. 

As they continued to stare, both their smiles slowly began to shift, joy replaced with desire.

Neither of them noticed when they closed the distance between them, silently coming to the same decision at the same time. Catra slid her hands up behind Adora's neck, unconsciously wrapping her tail around her leg, holding her close as she pushed up on her toes again, just as Adora leant down to meet her.

They melted into the kiss, neither one wanting to miss out this time. Both revelling in the feeling of their lips dancing together. Catra slowly began to lose herself, her need for Adora starting to override her senses. After a moment, Adora brought her arms around Catra, pulling her even closer, as if she was afraid Catra would disappear if she let go.

Just as Catra was about to give in to her desire and deepen the kiss, a loud wolf-whistle and the sound of cheering brought them back to reality, breaking the spell between them.

Adora dropped her arms and stepped back, cheeks flushed. Catra, her tail still loosely wrapped around Adora’s leg, did her best to cover her disappointment at the loss of contact. She arranged her face into a smirk, looking over Adoras shoulder at the small group she could see waving and whistling from over by the bus.

Adora glanced over as well, before back to Catra with an apologetic shrug. “Sorry about them”.

“Yeah, they’re just jealous!” Catra shot an amused look at the group. “Come on” She took Adora’s hand. “Come show me your ride, then.”

She took a couple of steps, tugging Adora along. Adora quickly caught on, taking the lead, and together they paced over to the glider that sat on the grass waiting for them.

“Catra, let me introduce you to _Swift Wind_!” Adora said proudly.

“ _Swift Wind_?” Catra looked at Adora like she's suddenly grown a second head. “What kind of a name is _Swift Wind_?”

Adora perched on the edge of the open cockpit, patting the fuselage fondly. “This is the glider I did most of my training in, and my first solo flight. She’s special to me.” She gave a shrug, pointing at the tail to where a pair of large, grey letters were painted on the fin. “She’s always worn the tail code ‘SW’, so... after I bought her, I named her ‘Swift Wind’. It just felt right."

Catra took a few moments to study the glider. The front of the glider held the two cockpits, one behind the other, like a tandem bicycle. Both were fitted with a single seat and the same controls, allowing it to be flown from either position. The wings reached out from behind the rear cockpit, the wingtips painted a deep blue, curving downwards slightly towards the ground. Past the wings, the fuselage tapered, pencil thin, down to the T-shaped tail. The rudder was finished in the same blue as the wingtips. The colour reminded her of Adora’s eyes.

“Wait,” Catra said with a frown “You said you _own_ this thing?”

Adora attempted an annoyed glare at Catra, but her soft smile gave her away “ _Swift Wind_. And yeah, I do. Well, part own. I have a share in a syndicate with three other club members, Noelle, Josie and Laura.”

Catra nodded, impressed. "So you get to just… pitch up and take her out whenever you want?"

"Kind of. As owners, we get first refusal if we want to take her up, but she's also available for any of the club members to use. We share the maintenance costs and the club stores her in their hangar for free, so it's a win-win all round, really."

Catra nodded again, taking the opportunity to survey _Swift Wind_ again. The more Adora let her in to this part of her life, the more she realised just how big a part of her life it was. She was _so_ glad Adora was letting her into her life again, and that she was willing to share something she considered so personal to her. 

Selfishly, Catra wondered if she could be as big a part of Adora‘s life again. She shelved that idea for later; now wasn’t the time to go down _that_ rabbit hole. 

She settled on distracting herself instead.

“So” She turned back to Adora. “Where do we start?”

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Catra was strapped into the front cockpit of _Swift Wind_ , listening as Adora completed her pre-flight check from the cockpit behind her.

They had made a walk around ‘ _Swifty_ ’, Adora pointing out the main components of the glider, explaining what each part did and how it worked, before getting Catra to jump into the cockpit and giving a brief overview of the various controls and instruments. It hadn’t been as daunting as Catra had first thought, and she’d been able to follow Adora’s explanations. _Mostly._

There was one small problem though. Watching Adora explain what each instrument and control did in such a relaxed and confident manner had been… _a turn on?_ Once she started to feel that same warm sensation starting to build in her lower abdomen again she'd struggled to concentrate on what Adora was saying. As much as she tried to focus, she knew she was slowly losing the battle.

She had almost lost it completely when Adora had helped her don a parachute pack, reaching between her legs to secure the restraints properly. She swore she was as red as a tomato by the time Adora straightened again, her own cheeks tinged pink.

In an effort to get back on track, Adora commentated for Catra as they watched the yellow Land Rover return from the far side of the airfield, dragging the heavy cables used to launch the gliders into the air. She explained how, after the gliders were hooked up to the cables, a winch at the far end would reel the cable in rapidly, dragging the glider into the air, like a kid running with a kite. The bus acted as airfield control, overseeing the launch and recovery of the gliders and communicating with the other team operating the winch at the far end of the airfield.

Catra had watched as the group which had been lounging on the grass earlier sprung into action as the Land Rover came to a halt, unhooking the cables from the dolly hitched to its rear, laying them out neatly on the grass, before man-handling one of the waiting gliders into position. 

A few minutes later, they watched as the glider leapt nimbly into the air. 

Then it had been their turn.

Once the ground team maneuvered _Swift Wind_ into position, Adora had helped Catra get seated and strapped in. With a final smile, she’d closed and locked the canopy, before situating herself in the rear cockpit.

Adora's voice brought Catra back to the present.

“OK, pre-flight checks complete. You good up front?” Adora called. 

Catra just gave her a thumbs up. “Ready when you are, princess.”

Adora turned her attention to the grey scaled reptile-hybrid stood waiting patiently just outside the cockpit.

“ _Wings level_ ”

Another member of the ground team grabbed hold of the lower wingtip, lifting it to hold the wings parallel to the ground.

The hybrid gave a hand signal which Catra interpreted as an affirmative to Adora’s command.

“ _Cable On_ ”

This time the hybrid dived to the grass just next to the cockpit, disappearing from Catra’ sight for a moment. She heard a tap on the side of the fuselage; a moment later Adora calling “Open”. A double-tap, and the answering call “Closed”.

The hybrid reappeared from the grass, giving a tug on the cable now attached beneath them to confirm it was secure. He gave another affirmative signal before jogging clear.

“ _All Clear Above and Behind_ ”

Catra heard the call repeated by the other members of the ground crew, before a final affirmative signal from the hybrid.

“Ready?” Adora called to Catra. 

“Ready” Catra replied firmly, the swivelling of her ears the only sign of any nerves.

“ _Take up Slack!_ ”

After a few seconds, Catra could see the loop of slack cable in front of them start to crawl through the grass, slowly straightening and becoming taught. With a slight jolt, _Swift Wind_ began to crawl forward.

“ _All Out!_ ”

Even though she’d been expecting it, she was still caught by surprise. The glider suddenly lurched forward as the cable picked up speed, pressing her back into her seat. Before she could register they were even off the ground, they were airborne, already twenty feet above the ground, the airfield dropping away rapidly.

Adora pitched the nose up smoothly, pointing _Swifty_ skywards. Looking forwards, all Catra could see was the clear blue sky before them. 

“Oh _Shit!_ ” Catra couldn’t help letting out a laugh. They continued to climb higher, the nose still pointing skyward. She glanced out of the cockpit along the wing. She could see the countryside sliding away below them like a map, the fields criss-crossed with dark green hedgerow and grey roads.

Forty five seconds after leaving the ground, Adora pushed the nose forward, bringing the glider roughly level with the horizon. There was a quiet _thud_ as the cable released and fell away, leaving then completely untethered from the world.

After a few moments, Adora started to gently bank them away from the airfield and out over the open fields.

“Whaddya think then?” Catra could hear the smile on Adora’s face as she spoke.

“That was _awesome!_ ” Catra grinned herself.

Adora chuckled. “So, we’re at just under... eighteen hundred feet at the moment at roughly 80 knots indicated airspeed. What we’re going to do is find a thermal and gain a bit more altitude, then we’ll have a bit of fun, Ok?

“Sounds good to me.” Catra settled back, marvelling at the view. She’d flown on commercial aircraft plenty of times, but this was completely different. 

The noise, for one. On a commercial flight, there’s the constant drone of engines, all the voices from the other passengers and the cabin crew. Here, it was just the wind, not silent, but not deafening. It made her think of running water.

And the view from the cockpit was unrivalled. Just the curved perspex between her and the outside world, the ground far below, scattered clouds above. She could see why it appealed so much to Adora; the peace and quiet. Just the two of them, alone in the sky.

They were quiet for a few minutes as Adora guided them through the air, drawing a lazy path in the sky over the countryside.

Catra remembered her phone, still tucked into her pocket. With a bit of wriggling, she managed to fish it out, opening up the camera app and flipping to the front-facing camera. She held the phone up and pointed it over her shoulder towards Adora.

She took the opportunity to study Adora, just taking her in for a moment. Despite the aviators, she could see Adora looking relaxed and self-assured as she filled the frame, the afternoon sun bathing her in its golden glow. She looked beautiful.

“Hey blondie, Smile!” She put on a signature smirk as Adora looked at the camera, a wide smile plastered on her face. Tapping the shutter button, she snapped a couple of pictures before Adora glanced back to the instruments in front of her.

Catra quietly took one more picture whilst Adora concentrated. Just Adora, totally relaxed in her element.

She flipped back to the rear camera and took a few more photos looking out of the front cockpit, before awkwardly tucking her phone back in her pocket.

Adora's voice drew her attention again. "See those clouds above us to the right?"

Catra looked in the direction Adora indicated, seeing a cluster of small, fluffy clouds.

"I see them."

"Those are cumulus clouds. They're sat at the apex of a thermal air current. We're gonna see if we can hitch lift on the thermals and gain some altitude."

Catra just nodded as Adora banked towards where she'd indicated.

"If you look at the ground, you can just make out a darker patch, surrounded by lighter coloured area. That's where the warmer air is rising from, creating the thermal."

Adora steepened the bank slightly, giving Catra a clear view of the ground below. She looked at the ploughed earth, quickly picking out the patches of colour.

"Yeah, I see them. So, you just, like, look for the different patches of colour on the ground to find one these thermals then?"

Adora hummed as she eased the wings level again. "There are a couple of different things you can look out for, but that's usually a good one, especially on a day like today."

As they were talking, Catra could feel the glider being buffeted, the nose rising slightly as it caught the current of warm air. Adora turned into the current, and after a few adjustments seemed to hold them in steady turn, tracing a lazy spiral in the sky.

Catra picked out the Altimeter on the instrument panel in front of her, watching the gauge climb as they rose higher and higher. 

They had climbed to over four thousand feet when Adora began to break away from the thermal, the base of the clouds now only a short distance above them.

"That should be enough for now. You doing ok there?"

"Yeah, could you pull over for a minute, I think I need to barf." She shot back, sarcastically.

Adora suddenly sounded panicked " _Shit!_ Um, Ok. It'll take a bit to get back on the ground, there should be a couple sick bags in the pocket by your right knee…"

Adora stopped at the sound of Catra's squeaky laugh. 

"Relax, _idiot_. I'm fine." Catra continued chuckling to herself as Adora felt herself relax again.

"Hey! Knock it off! That's not funny, especially at four thousand feet!" She pouted as Catra just laughed harder.

Suddenly she had an idea.

"Hey, is that Noelle’s _mouse_?!"

"AAAHH! WHERE?!!" Catra squealed, ears standing on end as her tail bristled.

Now it was Adora's turn to laugh.

Catra harrumphed, arms crossed, ears flattened back. "That's _not_ funny! It was _ONE_ time!' she sulked as Adora snorted loudly behind her.

The sound of Adora's laugh soon calmed Catra, easing the scowl on her face. She soon relaxed again, taking in the vista in front of them. 

She could see further now they were higher, and could make out the city of Brightmoon in the distance. She picked out another glider, heading away from them at a lower altitude. It felt like they had the whole sky to themselves.

She pulled her phone out again and took a few more pictures of the scenery, making sure to get a shot that captured the distant city in the background, wingtip in the foreground. 

She took a silly selfie as well, poking her tongue out at the camera, before tucking it away again.

"Hey, Catra?"

"Yeah?"

"D'you want to have a go flying _Swifty_?"

"Really?" Catra asked in surprise, ears swivelling as she glanced over her shoulder towards Adora. "Is that allowed?"

"Sure, if you want to."

"Don't I need, like, an instructor or something to teach me first?"

Adora chuckled again. "I _am_ an instructor, dummy."

Catra shouldn't have been surprised to hear Adora was a qualified instructor, but it still made her pause for a moment. It was one more revelation that made her realise how much Adora loved what they were doing. Another piece of the puzzle that made Adora.

"Rest your feet on the rudder pedals and put your right hand loosely on the control column. I'll walk you through each manoeuvre first, then you can give it a try, Ok? I'll be right here the whole time. If you want me to go over anything, or take control again at any point, just say."

Catra followed Adora's instructions and put her feet on the two pedals, resting her hand lightly on the control column between her thighs. She wrapped her tail around her calf to keep it clear of any of the controls, ears up straight.

"Instruct away, oh instructor mine!"

* * *

They spent the next twenty minutes practicing basic manoeuvres. Catra, always a fast study, picked it up quickly, and was soon confident in keeping _Swifty_ straight and level, executing basic turns and making climbs and descents. She picked up the feel for _Swifty_ and soon became attuned to how the glider handled. Adora let her choose their path for a while, offering minor corrections and words of encouragement when needed.

Adora was so happy Catra had agreed to come up with her. _Ok, I may have rail-roaded her slightly_. She’d been nervous when Catra had hesitated on the ground, worried the brunette would scream or run away from her as fast as she could. But she hadn’t, and Adora had felt lighter, somehow, ever since.

She still couldn’t believe that Catra was back in her life again. After things fell apart between them before, she never thought she’d see the Magicat again. She’d been heartbroken at the loss of her best friend, the girl she’d _been in love with_ for as long as she could remember. After she had finally broken down in front of Bow and Glimmer, they arranged for her to get some professional help. It took time, but she’d eventually resembled her old self. _Mostly_.

Meeting Catra again after nearly ten years had been both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. All the air had left her when her gaze had locked with the same mis-matched cobalt and gold stare she knew so well. She was still the same snarky, short tempered, Magicat she’d known growing up. Still just as beautiful.

The past couple of months had been more than she could’ve hoped for. She finally had her best friend back. It was like a part of her that had been missing for so long was finally back, making her whole again. 

She was still _terrified_ of losing Catra again. Of letting herself feel the same way she had back then. Of admitting to the feelings she’d kept buried all these years. But she was determined not to waste the second chance they’d been given.

When she’d gone to Catra’s apartment two weeks ago, she’d been determined to just enjoy getting to spend time with her best friend. When Catra had shown her around, the canvas hiding under a sheet in the corner of her home office had caught her attention. She’d been surprised when Catra, after a moment of indecision, had pulled back the sheet and shown her what she’d been working on. 

Adora had been overwhelmed that Catra would let her into such a personal part of her life so easily. She knew Catra hid behind sarcasm and a sharp tongue; she rarely let anyone see the softer, vulnerable side.

It had been a moment of weakness when she’d given in to the desire that had been screaming in her head since she’d walked into Catra’s apartment. When she had pinned Catra against the sofa, the flash of surprise on her face as she’d pressed her lips to the brunette’s.

She’d been equal parts surprised and exhilarated when Catra had responded in kind. 

The memory of spending the afternoon in Catra’s bed made her face redden all the way down to her chest. She was thankful Catra couldn’t see her right now.

_Come on, Adora. Concentrate. You can lust over her later._

She distracted herself by sweeping her eyes over the instrument panel, mentally cataloging the different readings and making quick calculations in her head.

“Hey, Goose, how you doing up front?”

" _The fuck? Goose_?” Catra replied, confused.

Adora snorted in amusement. “Y’know. Maverick’s sidekick, Goose. Top Gun”

“I am not a Sidekick!” Catra replied, offended. “If anything, I’m… I’m Val Killer, _Ice Man_.”

Adora burst out laughing. Before long, Catra joined in, her own squeaky laugh making Adora laugh even harder.

“Ok, _Ice Man_ ,” Adora managed between laughs, “I’ll take it from here. I have control.”

“You have control,” Catra replied, tacking on a soft “ _Idiot._ ”

Adora once again banked _Swift Wind_ back towards the thermal they had ridden earlier, tucking them into a tight spiral to ride the warm air upwards.

Adora took a deep breath as she watched the Altimeter climbing up again. She was suddenly nervous again, the idea of what she planned suddenly seeming like an excuse to show off.

She exhaled slowly as she banked away from the thermal, levelling them off in a patch of quieter air.

“Hey Catra?” She tried to keep the note of nervousness out of her voice.

Catra turned her head and gave a hum of acknowledgement, her ears twitching towards Adora.

“Everything secure in there with you?”

Catra glanced around, checking for anything loose. She patted her pocket to make sure it was still tucked safely away. Her tail was still wrapped around her calf.

“Yeah, all good here. How come?” She asked, curiously.

“How’d you like to… step things up a notch?”

Catra frowned in confusion. “Step it up? What did you have in mind?”

Adora took another deep breath. “I don’t know; how about something like this?”

As they were talking, Adora had pushed the nose forward slightly, picking up speed. As soon as the airspeed hit the right number, she pulled the control column smoothly back, lifting the nose towards the sky.

Catra watched, wide eyed, as the horizon disappeared. She felt her body being pressed further and further into her seat, her limbs becoming heavy, as gravity fought against them.

“ _Adora!_ ” Catra let out a surprised squeak as Adora kept the nose rising further and further. Adora just chuckled. She eased off on the control column slightly as they reached the apex of the loop, the invisible hand pressing them into their seats slackening ever so slightly.

“You’ll want to look up for this one, _Ice Man._ ”

Catra tilted her head back to look straight up through the perspex canopy, and let out another surprised squeak.

She was looking up at the ground.

Looking. Up. At. The. Ground.

She had spent more times than she could count looking down on the world from high places; the tall oak tree at the park near her home as a child, the roof of the college library at night time when she couldn't sleep, the side of a cliff face half way up a mountain range when she'd travelled. _None_ of those compared to this.

“ _Holy Shit! Adora!_ ” Catra half laughed, half cried out in both alarm and wonder.

Adora didn’t respond immediately, concentrating on completing the loop. She pulled back smoothly on the control column again, bringing the nose back down to point at the earth. The pressure on their bodies increased again as they completed their arc, the gliders nose travelling up to meet the horizon, right way up, once again.

Adora could hear Catra laughing. "Oh gods! That was _awful!_ "

Adora grinned. "Up for more?"

" _Fuck, yes!_ "

At Catra's response, Adora pushed the nose forward to build up speed, before pitching up again. 

This time, Adora made a smooth roll as the nose continued to rise, coming to a stop as they reached the apex of the loop, the nose now pointing in a right-angle from where they started.

Catra let out a " _Wow!_ ", her ears pinned back in awe. 

Adora made it look effortless. Her control movements were efficient and precise, never forced or frantic. She was perfectly in tune with _Swift Wind_ , feeling, or sensing, how the glider rode through the air. 

Catra felt the same invisible pressure forcing her back into her seat again as Adora eased the control column back to bring them through the downward half of the loop. Catra expected Adora to ease off and level off as the nose came up to meet the horizon, but to her surprise, Adora continued pulling back, using their momentum to pitch the nose up again, rolling into a repeat of the same maneuver.

Adora ran through the same sequence four times all together. She eased them out of the final loop, bringing them back level with the horizon, and let _Swift Wind_ settle for a moment, checking in with Catra.

“How’re you doing?”

“So what’s that one called, the _Washing Machine_?” Catra replied. Despite the sarcasm, Adora could hear the smile in Catra’s voice.

“Nah, the _Cloverleaf_. You can do fewer circuits if you want, but I thought you could handle a full four leaf, _Ice Man_.” Adora chuckled sarcastically.

Catra flipped Adora the bird over her shoulder, earning another laugh from Adora. 

“So what else you got, then, _She-Ra_?”

* * *

They spent the next 10 minutes running through different aerobatic maneuvers, Adora expertly guiding them through the air.

As they exited a final slow roll and levelled off with the horizon, Catra could feel herself beginning to tire. The constant assault of g-forces were taking their toll on her, her body being unused to dealing with such prolonged, rapid changes. Adora seemed to sense she was starting to flag.

“You Ok, Catra?”

Catra felt herself flush at the note of concern in Adora’s voice. “I’m Ok, just a little frazzled, I guess.”

Adora hummed in agreement. “Yeah, if you’re not used to it, the g-force can be a _bitch_. You ready to head back then?”

As much as Catra didn’t want their time alone together to end, she knew they had to head back at some point. She let out a short sigh, before turning her head towards Adora.

“I’m ready. Let’s head home.”

* * *

The afternoon sun had shifted towards the horizon by the time Adora brought _Swift Wind_ in for a textbook landing. 

At the soft thump of the undercarriage touching the ground, Catra let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. As much as she'd enjoyed the time they'd spent in the air, she was glad to be back of firm soil again. 

They rolled to a gentle stop on the grass about a hundred yards from the control bus. For a moment, they both just sat, soaking up their last few moments together before they had to rejoin the real world.

As Catra began unstrapping her seat harness, she could see the yellow Land Rover slowly trundling across the grass to retrieve them.

Adora was the first out, helping Catra pop the canopy and offering a welcome hand to climb out. As soon as her feet touched the grass, Catra let out an appreciative mewl, stretching her limbs and tail, ears flickering, glad to be out of the confines of the cramped cockpit.

“So, what did you think?” Adora asked nervously as she unbuckled her parachute pack, but not removing it just yet.

“Well, the entertainment wasn’t too bad but the in-flight meal _sucked_.” Replied Catra sarcastically, earning a frustrated groan from the blonde. Catra smirked as she quickly copied the blonde's movements and unbuckled her own parachute pack. 

“But the captain?” Catra hummed, catching her lower lip with a single sharp canine. “ _Definitely_ a highlight.” Adora’s cheeks instantly turned pink, her mind going blank.

Thankfully, she was saved from having to form a coherent response by the ground crew jumping out of the Land Rover as it arrived.

As the crew busied themselves fitting the ground dollies ready to tow the glider back, Adora had an idea.

“Hey, Jewelstar!” Adora called to a tall, blonde, male wearing a purple eyepiece. “Could you take a picture of me and Catra quickly before we put _Swifty_ away?” As she was speaking she pulled her phone from her pocket, opening the camera app before offering it to Jewelstar.

“Sure thing! Where do you want me?”

“Umm, just there would be great, thanks” Adora nodded as Jewelstar snagged her phone and took a couple of steps back.

Adora glanced at Catra, a questioning look on her face. Catra just stood watching, arms folded, eyebrow cocked. “Do… d''you mind?” Adora asked quietly.

“You're such an idiot.” Catra rolled her eyes, but smiled softly nonetheless. Adora brightened, cheeks turning pink once again as she wrapped an arm around Catra’s shoulders, pulling her in to her side. The Magicat rolled her eyes again but leaned into the taller woman, arms still folded, and slowly wrapped her tail around Adora’s waist. After a moment, she gently leant her head to rest against Adora's shoulder.

Jewelstar took a couple of snaps before announcing "All done!". As he started to head over to help the rest of the ground crew he tossed Adora's phone back to her. She fumbled to catch it before promptly dropping it on the grass, earning another snicker from Catra. 

Jewelstar spun around and suppressed his own laugh as Adora scooped up the offending device, muttering under her breath. Walking backwards, he called back to Adora. "Oh, almost forgot; Bill said he'd put _Swifty_ to bed for you once you were done. Something about letting you spend more time _wooing_ your lady friend!" He chuckled as he shot Adora a pair of finger guns, before spinning on his heel and darting off to help the rest of the ground crew.

Catra snorted at Adora as she tried to hide her face, which had turned bright red, by busying herself putting away her phone. " _Wooing_ me, huh?"

Adora just muttered under her breath, grabbing Catra's hand and stomping off towards the Land Rover, which by now had been backed up to _Swift Wind's_ tail, ready to tow the glider off the grass.

By the time they reached the four-by-four, she had already calmed slightly, although her face was still flushed in embarrassment. 

"Sorry about that." She mumbled quietly, staring intently at her feet.

"Don't worry about me, princess. I'm flattered, actually. _All this effort_ just to impress little ol' _me_!" Catra drawled sarcastically, earning another groan from Adora. Though she would never admit it, the idea of Adora putting in all this effort just for her really was flattering.

She caught up Adora's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Seriously, though. I'm good."

Adora locked eyes with the Magicat, cobalt and gold staring back at her reassuringly with a mix of mischief and affection. It was the same look she'd seen a million times when they were growing up. A look she'd missed so much during their years apart. It warmed her to see that same look again, her stomach giving a small flutter as they gazed at each other.

Adora opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it shut quickly as the ground crew started crowding around, ready to start heading back. The moment passed, and Adora let out another quiet sigh. "Come on, let's go get the rest of this kit packed away and signed out."

Catra watched as Adora deflated slightly. _What was she going to say?_ She could've screamed at the ground crew for interrupting, but logically she knew it wasn't their fault. Perhaps the middle of an airstrip wasn't the _best_ place to have meaningful conversations.

She watched Adora climb into the back of the Land Rover, before jumping up behind her. The opposite bench was filled by the bulk of the grey-scaled lizard hybrid who had seen them off earlier, so Catra crammed in on the narrow bench seat next to Adora, hunched awkwardly due to the parachute pack still on her back. Almost as soon as they were settled, the Land Rover lurched forward, beginning it's slow crawl back across the grass.

After a minute of awkward silence, Catra nudged Adora. “Hey, Adora?”

“Hmmm?”

“Wanna go grab dinner? I know a diner that's not too far from mine that does a great burger and shake.” Catra asked, hopefully. She wasn’t ready for the day to be over just yet.

Adora broke into a wide smile. “Sounds perfect.”

* * *

“So that's two classic burgers with fries, one Chocolate shake, and one Strawberry shake.” The waitress smiled politely as she placed their food down and retreated to the kitchen.

They had left Adora's red convertible outside Catra's apartment block and made the 5 minute walk to the diner along the street. It was a small, typical fifties style diner, all chrome, red leather and checkerboard floor. Half a dozen booths lined the front of the diner under large glass windows overlooking the street. A long counter with bar stools sat opposite the booths, the open kitchen beyond that.

Despite being early on a Saturday evening, it wasn't too busy and they were able to snag Catra's favourite booth in the corner by the jukebox, hits from Buddy Holly and Ray Charles playing in the background.

Adora whistled softly as they tucked into their food. "This looks so good. I don't know if I'm supposed to eat this burger or climb it?!"

"Hey, if you don't want it, pass it this way; I'd be happy to finish it off!" Catra made to grab the plate away from Adora but was bet by a fierce glare from the blonde.

"Hey! Touch my food, feel my fork!" She growled, brandishing the offending silverware at the brunette.

Catra stared at Adora for a moment, before she burst into a fit of laughter. 

"Oh man, you are _such_ a dork!" Catra got out between squeaking laughs, Adora giggling as well.

Adora smiled at Catra before picking up her burger and taking a massive bite. Her cheeks bulged out like a hamster as she chewed, making Catra burst into another fit of giggles. It took a minute before Adora was able to get any more words out.

"Mmm, you were right. _So_ good!" She exclaimed as she continued attacking her meal.

"I know, right? I try not to come down too often, but these burgers are like, my Kryptonite or something." Catra replied around a mouthful of her own burger.

They ate in contented silence for a few minutes, happy just to bask in each other's company. 

Catra finally broke the comfortable silence only once most of the food was gone.

"So tell me, how come you took up gliding, then? Not something I'd have pegged you for." She asked, absently dipping a few of her remaining fries into her chocolate shake before shovelling them into her mouth.

Adora gave her a disgusted look for a second, earning an eye roll from the Magicat, before responding.

"During the first year of my degree. I won one of those gift experience certificates in a charity raffle organised by the football team." She replied slowly as she took a sip of her own strawberry shake.

"I gave it go, and I guess I was hooked. There's a gliding club at BMU, so I joined up and was able to do my training and go solo by the time I completed my degree. I qualified as an instructor about four years ago and got my aerobatic training signed off about six months ago."

Catra nodded thoughtfully as Adora spoke. "It must've been difficult, juggling that with your studies and team commitments."

Adora looked thoughtful for a moment as she finished the last of her fries, before shrugging one shoulder. "Eh, it was worth it." 

She grabbed her shake and took a long hit to give herself a moment to think.

"It was an escape route, y'know? A way to forget about assignments and grades and team practices. Don't get me wrong, I loved the football team, but sometimes you just need a way stepping back and doing something different. Something that's just for you."

Catra understood what she was trying to say. It was the same reason she'd first picked up a paint brush; it was an outlet for her. A way to escape from the pressures and expectations of the day to day. A way to just be you for a while.

Catra gave her a small smile. "I get it."

Adora looked up, surprised. "You do?"

She reached over the table and grabbed Adora's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Yeah. I do."

The feline gave Adora a teasing smirk. "Besides, it must make for a great date with the _ladies_!" She wiggled her eyebrows at Adora, before her eyes suddenly grew wide. "Oh gods, I bet Sparkles absolutely _shit_ herself!" Catra cackled at the thought for a moment until she saw the look on Adora's face.

"Well, I've never actually taken Glimmer or Bow up before…" Adora twisted her lips nervously. 

Catra straightened immediately "Seriously?"

Adora nodded. "To be honest, you're the first person I've ever taken up with me. Aside from, y'know, another instructor…" She trailed off, swirling her straw in the last of her strawberry shake.

Catra slumped back in her seat at the revelation, her ears flattening against her head. If she'd learned anything from today, it was how big a part of Adora this was. She was genuinely surprised that she hadn't shared it with any of the other people in her life, especially _Sparkles_ and _Arrow Boy_.

One thought ran through her head as she gazed at the blonde. _She shared it with me_.

In that moment she wanted nothing more than to climb over the table and plant her lips on Adora's. To show her just _how much_ it meant to the feline that she had let her into her life again and shared this experience with her, above anyone else.

She cleared her throat, resisting _that_ particular urge; as much as she wanted Adora, she did want to be able to come back to the diner again.

"Thank you." She said softly, causing Adora to look up from her shake quizzically. 

"For letting me in." Catra said simply. There was so much more she wanted to say, in that moment, but couldn't find the right words.

Adora, for once, seemed to understand what Catra wasn't saying. She gave her lopsided smile in return. "Anytime." 

They fell in to a comfortable silence as they finished their meal, simply taking the time to enjoy being together. After deciding against dessert, they called the waitress over and asked to settle up.

"There you are, ladies." The waitress smiled politely as she dropped off their check, before retreating behind the counter to serve another customer

"Thanks Nyla." Catra called after her receeding form. As she turned back, Adora was already rifling through her jacket pockets for her wallet.

"Hey! Whoa! This one's on me, princess." Catra quickly pulled a couple of twenties from her back pocket, dropping them on the table.

"No, I'll get it, it's the least I can do for having to put up with me all afternoon." Adora protested, still digging for her wallet.

"Yeah, because it was a real hardship spending a _whole afternoon_ with you." Catra replied dryly. "I got this one, princess. Wouldn't want you to think we were on a date or something." 

"I… You… Date… Huuh?' Adora stuttered in confusion. 

Catra snickered at the blonde. _She's so cute when she's flustered_. "You can buy the next one, deal?" 

Catra was already sliding out of the booth. Adora sat there for another moment, jaw flapping as she tried to come up with some sort of response, before giving it up as a lost cause. With a defeated groan, she slid out after Catra.

They both waved to Nyla as they pushed open the door and stepped outside. It was cooler now as the sun started to sink below the horizon, so they both pulled on their jackets before starting back towards Catra's apartment.

Adora looked around at the neighborhood as they walked. It wasn’t too far to the center of the city where she lived, but it was much quieter, and everything felt more spacious and open. She gave a little hum of contentment.

“You Ok there, princess?” Catra asked, flicking her tail at the blonde.

“Yeah. Just thinking how nice this part of the city is.” 

Catra nodded. She’d seen many different places during her travels, and she knew that Brightmoon, on the whole, was a nice place to live. _Better than the Fright Zone, that's for sure._

They stopped at a crossing, waiting for the traffic to pass before stepping out. Without thinking, Adora reached out and took hold of Catra’s hand.

The butterflies in Catra’s stomach started doing somersaults again at the contact. She tried, unsuccessfully, to convince herself it was just the burger from earlier.

Once they were across, she expected Adora to drop her hand, but Adora kept hold of Catra’s hand as they carried on down the street, slowly lacing their fingers as they walked. Catra couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face, matching the same, contented smile worn by Adora.

All too soon they reached Catra’s apartment block. They stopped, half way between the front door and Adora’s parked convertible.

Catra glanced between the two for a moment before swallowing her nerves, tail lashing to and fro.

“Doyouwanttocomeupforacupofcoffee?” She blurted out quickly, her tail stilling, ears laying flat.

Adora looked at her, confused. “Huh?”

Catra groaned at herself in frustration, slapping her forehead with her free hand. _Way to go, jackass_. She took a breath to calm herself before trying again.

“It’s still early. Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee, or something?”

Adora took a moment, before breaking into a wide smile. “I’d like that.”

* * *

Catra pushed the front door to her apartment closed with a soft click. She shrugged off her leather jacket and hung it in the hall closet, Adora doing the same. She flicked the closet shut with her tail before padding down the hallway.

Her apartment wasn’t huge, but it suited her well. It was on the top-most floor of the five storey building, giving her decent views over the neighbourhood. On the left, beyond the closet was the bathroom, and at the end of the hall was the master bedroom. To the right was the second bedroom, which Catra used as her home office and studio space. 

Past the second bedroom, the hallway opened out into an open plan living room and kitchen. Being on the corner, she enjoyed large windows on two walls, filling the apartment with light throughout the day. A big, overstuffed sofa sat under one window, a matching overstuffed armchair next to it under the other window. A large flatscreen tv and entertainment center faced the sofa over a dark wood coffee table. The reading lamp in the corner and the comforter thrown over the armchair gave away where Catra usually chose to curl up.

A small rectangular dining table and chairs sat between the sofa and kitchen island. The kitchen was small, but functional, which suited her just fine. It wasn't like she entertained much, other than semi-regular movie nights with Scorpia and Entrapta. Catra padded over and began filling the coffee machine as Adora made her way over to the sofa.

Catra chuckled as she watched Adora flop face first onto the cushions. “Ughh, this thing is so much comfier than mine.” Adora mumbled against the cushion. She turned her head towards Catra as she moved around the kitchen island, coming to a stop by the end of the sofa. “I am never moving from this spot ever again.”

“Well, your choice, princess.” Before Adora realised what was happening, Catra had leapt on top of her playfully, laying her full length on top of the blonde.

“Aaargh, Catra!” Adora yelped in surprise, wriggling furiously to work her arms free from under Catra.

“Oh, what's the matter, Adora? You stuck?” Catra teased sarcastically.

Adora, never one to back down from a challenge, managed to work an arm free, pushing herself up in an awkward one armed pushup. She used the leverage to twist around onto her back, so that she and Catra were laying face to face.

“Hah!” Adora cried in triumph. 

“Oh, well done. Now what’re you going to do?” Catra sing-songed sarcastically.

“Hmm, how about… this!” Adora managed to snake her other arm out and promptly began tickling Catra’s sides.

Catra shrieked in surprise, instantly beginning to squirm. “Agh! Adora! Stop!” She managed to wheeze out between high pitched squeaks.

Whilst Catra was distracted, Adora took advantage, sliding her knee between Catra’s legs and flipping them over, so that the Magicat was now pinned on the sofa.

They both stared at each other for a moment, panting at the exertion.

Before Adora could make any further moves, Catra leant up, placing her lips on the blonde's.  
Adora was disarmed immediately, losing herself to the feeling of the Magicat's lips on her own.

Just as she went to deepen the kiss, Catra used her lapse in concentration to flip them over once again.

"Hey! No Fair! You distracted me with your… your, uh... Feminine wiles!" Adora pouted from her position under Catra.

The feline just smirked. "Gotta pay attention. And I would've said it's using my _animal magnetism_." She dropped a quick peck on Adora's cheek before jumping up to go check on the coffee machine, her tail swiping Adora’s nose for good measure.

Adora, groaning at Catra's quip, took a moment to center herself and try calming her raging libido, before sitting up slowly and straightening her clothes.

Catra padded back over from the kitchen, two mugs of coffee in hand. "Still milk, no sugar, right? She asked as she passed one to Adora.

"Yes, thank you."

Catra slid herself onto the opposite end of the sofa, pulling her feet up and wrapping her tail around her legs.

After a moment of staring at her coffee, Catra spoke. “Thank you. For today, I mean. You sharing all that with me. It was, y’know, whatever.”. She kept her eyes trained on her coffee cup, determined to hide her raging emotions from Adora.

Adora looked thoughtful for a moment, taking a sip of her coffee. She placed the mug down on the coffee table before turning towards Catra. She looked down at her hands as she spoke. “I wanted to share this with you for so long. I never thought I’d get the chance to, after, well, everything that happened.” She clenched her fists before looking up again. She held Catra’s gaze, deep blue eyes locked on Catra’s cobalt and gold. “I am so happy I got to share it with you now.”

She paused for a moment, a strange look crossing her face, as if she was fighting within herself. Finally, her face set in a determined look, as though she had reached some important decision.

“I... I want you to know how sorry I am. About what happened. How things... fell apart between us.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I… I never stopped caring about you, y’know.” She gave a sad smile.

Catra sat back, stunned. For once, she was at a loss for what to say. She knew that what happened between them wasn’t just on Adora. They had both made mistakes which led to the breakdown of their relationship. And she was still atoning for them now. 

Adora _still cared about her_? Her head was spinning, heart hammering in her chest. In that moment, her normally confident, snarky exterior was stripped away. She knew she still cared for Adora. No, that wasn’t right. _I love her. I am so in love with her. I always have been._

Before she could say anything, Adora continued. “I know things got a little, um, _crazy_ between us the other week, but I want you to know, whatever happens between us, you will always be my best friend. I can’t imagine my life without you in it”

Catra slowly leaned over and placed her mug on the coffee table. She looked at Adora softly.

“You don’t have to apologise for what happened. I’m at fault here, too.”

She waved off Adora’s rising protest, urging the blonde to let her continue before she lost her nerve.

“I think it’s fair to say, we both made mistakes. Yes, I was hurt, and angry. I'm sure you were too. But most of all, I just wanted my best friend back. I would’ve done anything, _anything_ , to have you back in my life, and I’m sorry I didn’t try harder. Both then, and after.”

She could see unshed tears in the blonde’s eyes as she took a shaky breath. “I thought you hated me. For so long.”

“I never hated you!” Catra almost shouted, suddenly frustrated. “I was in love you! I still am! If anything, I’ve spent the last ten years hating _myself_ for throwing away the best thing that ever happened to me!” 

Adora just stared at her as she jumped up and started pacing around the living room.

“I didn't know how to fix things. How to make things right between us. We were so far apart. I even looked into getting a transfer to BMU!” 

The flood gates were open; those feelings she'd held on to for the last ten years finally came tumbling out. She continued on as she paced, all the time Adora just staring at her.

“I wanted to be near you. _Fuck_ , no, that's not right. I wanted to _be_ with you, so much; I would’ve done anything, absolutely _anything_ , if it meant having you in my life again.”

Catra finally stopped, chest heaving from the catharsis of letting go of everything she'd held on to, had kept hidden away from everyone, including herself.

“You... love me?” Adora asked quietly.

It suddenly hit Catra what she had said. What she had finally let slip. There was no backing away from it now.

“I… Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Catra finally said, flopping back down onto the sofa. She looked up at Adora, suddenly nervous of how the blonde would react.

“You love me.” Adora repeated quietly. Catra said nothing, her heart in her throat.

“I… I love you, too.” Adora looked at Catra, tears framing her deep blue eyes. Adora leant in and placed a firm, but brief, kiss on Catra’s lips. Her tail stilled from its nervous lashing, ears flattened as her mind caught up to what was happening.

_Adora… loves me?_

“You….” was all Catra could get out, her heart hammering.

Adora simply nodded, a wide smile on her face.

“I…” Catra was lost for word again. Her brain had melted, and she’d died and gone to the afterlife. 

Thankfully, Adora saved her from trying to think of any as she leant in and placed her lips on Catra’s again.

This time, there was more hunger behind Adora’s kiss. An urgency; a want that needed fulfilling. It took a second for Catra’s brain to register what was happening before she responded in kind.

She poured everything into the kiss. All the love and desire she held for Adora. Her need to be closer to her, to immerse herself completely in the blonde _goddess_ before her.

And Adora gave as much as Catra, her own adoration for the Magicat radiating from her.

They pulled apart for air, resting their foreheads together. Catra began to purr softly, something Adora knew she only did if she was truly happy.

“I love you.” Adora whispered. Catra’s smile grew even wider, the purr emanating from her chest growing louder.

“I love you, too.” she breathed. She leant forward, placing her lips on Adora’s again, almost immediately deepening the kiss. She parted her lips, running her tongue along Adora’s bottom lip, seeking entry. Adora responded almost immediately, her own tongue battling Catra’s.

As if by some unspoken agreement, Catra crawled into Adora’s lap, never once breaking their kiss. Adora circled her arms around Catra, pulling her in even closer as Catra draped her hands on Adora's shoulders.

Catra slowly slid her hands down to Adora's biceps, giving them a gentle squeeze. She knew Adora's body was toned, but being able to appreciate it so openly was something that she wanted to do since forever. Adora gently flexed under Catra's touch, making the feline's mind go blank. She was turning into a hot, gay mess under Adora's affections, and she was loving every second.

Catra slid her hands back up Adora’s arms, this time reaching up and plucking the hair tie holding the blonde’s ponytail with a single clawed finger, snapping the band and letting Adora’s blond locks cascade down around her shoulders.

Adora pulled back and gave Catra a mock-annoyed look. “Hey!”

Catra rolled her eyes. “Relax, princess, I’ll buy you a new one. Whole bunch of ‘em.” She punctuated her point by planting kisses along Adora’s jaw and down onto her neck.

Adora was just about to challenge Catra on that point, but the feeling of the brunette lips on her neck instantly made her lose focus. Catra spent more than a few minutes exploring, earning small, satisfied hums from the blonde.

As Catra brushed her lips along the collar of her long sleeve, Adora grew frustrated, suddenly craving more contact. In a single fluid motion, she leant back and whipped her long sleeve over her head. Catra’s eyes bulged as she took in the blonde goddesses toned abs and arms, her sports bra showing just a hint of cleavage.

Adora locked eyes with Catra. She could see her own lust reflected in the Magicat’s eyes, cobalt and gold shining brightly.

“Now, where were you?” Adora breathed, lacing her fingers through Catra’s brunette locks and tugging her gently back down to continue feathering kisses down her neck. Catra quickly found the sweet spot just at the base of her collar bone, earning a loud moan from the blonde as she nipped gently.

As much as Catra was enjoying the sight and sound of Adora lost to her affections, she desperately craved more contact. Copying Adora’s earlier actions, she pulled back before peeling her maroon vest top over her head. 

She wasn’t as well blessed as Adora, so had forgone a bra entirely, as she did most days. She flung the discarded top across the room haphazardly, half expecting a reprimand from the blonde. When she looked back, she couldn’t help smirking at the look of wonder on Adora’s face.

“Like what you see?” She teased.

 _“Gods, yes!_ ” Adora whispered, almost reverently. She slowly brought her hands up Catra’s sides, fingertips ghosting through the soft fur stretched over her ribs. She stopped just short, looking to Catra for assent. 

She had been hesitant at first during their previous encounter, seeking consent and assurance from the Magicat that it _was_ what she wanted, that she _wanted_ Adora to touch her that way. It warmed Catra to know she cared so much that she wouldn't push or rush headlong. She had had a few encounters over the years, but none even came close to Adora.

The Magicat gave a tiny nod, at which Adora gently brought her hands up to cup her breasts.

Catra let a breathy sigh escape at the contact. Adora's hands were warm, the skin rough from years of football and gym workouts. She palmed Catra softly, gently flicking her thumbs across her darkened nipples. They quickly stood to attention under Adora's care, the contact making Catra release another moan, somewhere between a purr and a whine. 

She dropped her head to nuzzle at Adora's neck again, running her hands more freely over Adora's biceps and shoulders this time. She slowly trailed her lips down to Adora’s collar bone, nipping once more at the sensitive spot she’d exploited earlier. She earned another hum of appreciation from Adora before the blonde gently tugged at the brunette’s messy locks, bringing her up to capture her lips again.

They got lost in each other again, lips dancing together, hands now roaming freely across each other's bodies. Adora, feeling emboldened, slid her hands down Catra’s back to her ass, squeezing a cheek with each hand. 

Catra’s tail stood on end as she moaned loudly. “ _Adora!_ ”

She locked eyes with the blonde, catching her lip with a single sharp canine. Adora’s eyes were dark with lust, a lust which matched her own. She ducked forward, kissing Adora firmly before pulling back and whispering a single word. “ _Bedroom_ "

Adora gave a single nod of understanding. She tightened her grip on Catra’s ass and she stood, the feline instantly wrapping her legs tightly around her waist. She laid her head on Adora’s shoulder, taking the opportunity to breathe in Adora’s scent. It reminded her of woodland, a pine forest in early morning, perhaps.

Adora carried catra as if she weighed nothing, striding confidently across the room. Catra’s tail swayed back and forth, ears pinned back, a gentle purr escaping her chest. In that moment, she felt more at peace, like she belonged, more than she ever had. It felt like home.

Adora pushed open the door to the master bedroom with her foot, covering the distance to the queen sized bed in no more than two steps. Instead of throwing her on the bed like she expected (and if she was honest, kind of wanted), Adora gently placed Catra down on the comforter She gave Catra a reverent look, taking the opportunity to take her in, before stepping back and peeling off her sports bra.

Catra’s mind had gone blank as Adora stood exposed to her, but the sight of the blonde toeing off her sneakers and socks before shimmying out of her grey slacks, leaving her stood in nothing but a simple black thong, drove the Magicat’s mind into total meltdown.

Adora crawled onto the bed, pinning Catra to the mattress. Her heart raced as she stared up at the woman she loved. She lost herself for a moment, gazing into Adora’s deep blue eyes as her mind tried to absorb every detail of her eyes; the flecks of grey accentuating the azure. Eventually, she settled her hand on Adora's cheek, whispering a simple “I love you.” It floated effortlessly, unmistakable and clear.

Adora smiled softly. “I love you too.” 

She ducked their lips together again in a slow, languid kiss, both beginning to feel that comfortable heat building inside. 

With her sports bra removed, Catra was able to take advantage and show Adora some of the same attention she had given earlier. She reached up and softly grasped Adora in her hands, kneading gently, flicking her thumbs across her swollen nipples. 

Adora moaned loudly, the sound of her own name spilling from the blonde's lips sending a jolt of electricity through her body straight to her core. Emboldened, Catra leant up and captured a nipple in her mouth, slowly tracing it's outline with her tongue. She rolled the other nipple between her fingers, a gentle pinch earning another breathy moan from Adora.

Adora shifted so she could run her fingers through Catra’s messy locks again, tugging her head back to plant another heated kiss on her lips. Catra used the change in position to wrap her arms around Adora’s back, gently gliding her fingertips over sculpted muscles. Catra gave an appreciative hum as her hands glided down to Adora’s ass, giving a quick squeeze, before unsheathing a single claw and slowly trailing it back up the blonde’s spine.

Adora shivered at the feeling, rolling her head back, eyes closed, a soft moan caught in her throat. As Catra reached the top of her spine, just below her neck, Adora looked down again, face framed by curtains of blonde hair. The wanton desire in her eyes left Catra in no doubt as to what she wanted. 

Without another word, Adora began trailing kisses down Catra’s chest, over her breasts to her navel. She slid her hands to the waistband of Catra’s skinny jeans, pausing to look up at the feline, as though seeking permission. At the feline’s nod, Adora made quick work of the buttons, peeling both the jeans and her panties off, throwing them across the room in indecent haste.

Catra stretched out lazily on the comforter, now completely naked. She rolled over onto her stomach, tail flicking out to caress Adora, who gave an appreciative smirk at the Magicat.

“Hmmm, all this space. What’s a girl to do?” Catra purred over her shoulder, giving Adora an inviting look. Adora crawled onto the bed and hovered over Catra. She slowly began to trace the darker stripes in the fur across the feline’s back, feathering kisses along each one. Catra was usually self conscious about her fur and her personal grooming habits. She rarely let anyone touch her other than her hands, or, gods forbid, try messing with her fur. But with Adora, there was no hesitation, no insecurity. She felt safe. And loved. Everything else just melted away when she was with Adora; she could just be herself.

Adora moved slowly, tracing each stripe of darker fur. She started on the stripe that ran between her shoulder blades, tracing every inch, before moving down to her middle back. Here Catra squirmed, slightly ticklish as the feel of Adora’s lips. Finally she reached the stripe that ran across the small of her back. As Adora caressed the stripe with her lips, Catra experienced a mixture of delicate excitement and aroused pleasure. 

As Adora reached the end of the final stripe, she did something Catra wasn’t expecting. She stroked her tail.

Usually, her tail was strictly off limits. She would use it to annoy, or make a point, or occasionally encourage, but she had a hard and fast rule that her tail was hers, and hers alone. _No one_ touched her tail.

But it seemed, when it came to Adora, all rules went out the window.

Adora ran one hand from the base of her tail, just above her ass, all the way along its length to the very tip, a single fluid motion. Catra froze for a moment, the sensation of someone stroking her tail both completely foreign and, somehow, also incredibly familiar. In that moment, she realised that she trusted the blonde more than anything. She had never felt this comfortable and content with someone else. And, honestly, it was a revelation. Adora had been attentive during the previous encounter, but this time; _wow_. Catra was officially ruined for any else for the rest of time.

Adora continued stroking, maybe three or four times, before Catra said or did anything. She slowly rolled over to face the blonde, seeing the quizzical look Adora wore. She couldn’t help the smirk at that as she sat up and captured Adora’s lips again. It was slow, and leisurely, but also conveyed Catra’s desire, her need for Adora.

After a minute or so, Catra slowly broke the kiss. She gazed into Adoras eyes once again, attempting to convey her need for the blonde with a single look, too afraid to open her mouth and ruin the moment by saying something stupid.

Adora seemed to understand, as she gently laid Catra back on the comforter, planting a final, soft kiss on her lips before slowly pulling back. 

Catra could feel her own arousal burning between her legs, the anticipation beginning to overwhelm her. Adora ghosted kisses down Catra’s body, her throat, breast, navel, finally stopping just above the small patch of slightly thicker fur that nestled between her legs.

“ _Oh gods._ ” Catra breathed. It seemed to break the spell Adora was under, as she suddenly put on a lopsided grin. It was that grin, the one that was exclusively for her. Adora adjusted her position slightly between Catra’s legs; just when Catra thought she would give her the contact she desperately desired, Adora gently grasped her ankle and began planting soft kisses along the inside of her leg. She worked up from the ankle, along her calf, over her knee and up her thigh. As she reached the top of Catra’s thigh, she skipped right over her center and carried on planting kisses along her other leg, working down her thigh to the ankle.

“ _Adora!_ ” Catra let out a low growl of impatience. She couldn’t tell if Adora was purposely torturing her or not. She felt like she could explode at any moment.

Adora gave a quick chuckle. “Needy, much?” She teased with a smirk. Nonetheless, she acquiesced to the Magicat’s keening and settled between her legs, finally ghosting her lips down to her center.

The moment Adora’s lips touched her clit, Catra let out a loud moan, neither knowing or caring if anyone could hear her. Adora teased her softly with her lips, before using her tongue to gently trace over her nub, long languid strokes which made Catra writhe in pleasure, finally feeling the friction she so desperately desired.

Adora slipped her tongue lower, using the same long strokes to explore Catra’s folds. She could taste the Magicat’s arousal, feeling her own beginning to soak through the thin fabric of her thong. Catra was beginning to pant slightly, moaning softly as Adora continued to explore every inch of her.

“ _Fuck!_ ” Catra let out a muffled cry as Adora slowly dipped her tongue inside her. Catra threw her head back into the covers, eyes closed as her hands went to her chest, kneading and pinching her nipples as Adora slid her tongue deeper. If Catra thought her head was going to explode earlier, she must’ve died and gone to heaven right now. She could feel the coil low in her abdomen beginning to tighten. 

Suddenly, the contact was gone and Catra momentarily felt adrift as she opened her eyes, panic setting in. But it was short lived, as Adora’s face reappeared in front of her own, lopsided smile still in place. She leant down and placed her lips on Catra’s, leading her in another searing kiss. Catra could taste herself on Adora’s lips, stoking her arousal once more.

“Sorry,” Adora breathed as she broke the kiss. “Couldn’t help myself.” Her eyes were dark with lust as Catra reached up and brought her back in for another kiss, Catra immediately parting her lips, her tongue begging entry. Adora complied, her own tongue dancing with Catra’s as they battled for dominance, neither willing to submit to the other.

Sliding her hand into Adora’s messy golden hair, she gently tugged her head back, breaking the kiss and earning a quiet moan of pleasure from Adora, a shiver of lust coursing through her body. Normally, she might have explored further, tugging at Adora’s hair again, but in that moment, her lust addled brain only wanted one thing.

Adora caught on straight away, immediately returning to her previous position between Catra’s parted legs. Her tongue found Catra’s clit again, this time setting a faster pace with shorter, firmer strokes. With her right hand, she ran her finger along her folds, before gently entering her, eliciting a groan of approval from the Magicat. Her arousal had made her so wet that Adora’s finger glided in with ease. She quickly added a second finger, matching the pace of her tongue against the Magicat’s clit.

Catra was painting loudly now, muffled curses slipping from her lips. She could feel her coil tightening further, nearing breaking point. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep herself from falling apart.

She felt Adora slide her free hand up her navel to her breast, her fingers delicately rolling around her nipple. Catra threw her head back, eyes clamped shut, Adora’s name caught in her throat.

“ _Oh gods. Don’t stop. I’m so close!_ ”

At her words, Adora firmly pinched the nipple she’d been toying with, letting out a satisfied hum at the string of obscenities spilling from Catra. She quickened her pace, Catra’s arousal making her so wet she was beginning to soak the covers beneath her.

Just as Catra thought she could take no more, Adora gently curled her fingers to scrape along the spot just inside her inner wall.

“ _OH FUCK! THATS IT! THATS IT ADORA! OH FUCK! I’M SO CLOSE, ADORA!_ ” Catra all but screamed, her heart hammering in her chest.

She dropped her hands into Adora’s hair, all but forcing her in against her, desperate for release. She bit down on her lip, sharp canine drawing a drop of blood. She was so close she could feel herself trembling.

When Adora curled her fingers against her inner wall again, she was finally undone. 

“ _FUCK! ADORA!_ ”

Her coil finally snapped, sending wave after wave of pleasure crashing through her body. Her mind went blank, eyes clamped shut, jaw open in a silent scream of release. Her hands held Adora in place whilst she rode out her high, Adora slowing her affections until she’d all but stopped.

Finally spent, Catra collapsed back on the covers, mind lost in a post-high haze. She could feel a tingling sensation throughout her body, all the way to her fingertip and down to her toes, her tail flickering feebly beside her.

After what felt like hours, but in reality was little more than ten seconds, she slowly cracked her eyes open, watching as Adora sat up. Her cheeks were flushed and her golden hair messy where she’d fisted her hands in it, but to Catra she’d never looked more beautiful.

With a goofy smile on her face, Adora came and laid next to Catra. She slowly rolled onto her side to face the blonde.

“Wow.” She breathed. “Just… Wow.” Her addled brain seemed incapable of forming full sentences, so she just settled for giving Adora a satisfied smile. 

“Wow, yourself.” Adora replied, goofy smile still in place. 

Catra closed the short distance between the two, placing a simple kiss on Adora’s lips. 

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

Catra pressed her lips to Adora’s again, this time more urgently. Now that her body had calmed slightly, she could feel her desire building once more. Adora had just given her an earth shattering orgasm, and she wanted to repay the favour.

Wrapping her leg over Adora, she rolled them both so that the blonde now lay on her back, Catra pinning her by the hips. Without saying anything, she leant down and placed a searing kiss on Adora’s lips, before beginning to trail down her jaw.

Adora wrapped her arms around Catra, holding her close, gently gliding her finger tips up and down then Magicat’s spine. It's Catra’s turn to let out a content hum, still peppering kisses along Adora’s collar bone.

She began to move lower, trailing kisses down the valley between Adora’s breasts. Catra palms one with her left hand, kneading gently. Adora hums in approval, watching Catra intently, bottom lip caught between her teeth.

Catra trailed her lips to Adora's other breast, using her lips to capture Adora’s nipple. She worried it between her lips, feeling it harden, before switching to gently nip with her teeth. Adora let out a gasp of pleasure, her eyes fluttering closed.

Catra focused on teasing her nipples, Adora’s soft moans fueling her confidence. Adora dropped her head back to the covers, eyes still closed, moving her fingers to tangle loosely in Catra’s messy locks.

As Catra slowly increased the pressure on each nipple, Adora’s gasps began to get louder and more frequent. Catra could feel Adora squirming, her body radiating the heat she felt slowly building inside. Catra shifted her position and brought her leg between Adora’s, pressing her thigh against Adora’s crotch.

Adora groaned loudly at the contact, unconsciously beginning to grind into Catra’s leg. Catra let out a chuckle. “ _Needy, much?_ ” She echoed Adora’s words from earlier.

The smile slowly slid from her face as she saw the lust in Adora’s eyes. It triggered something in Catra, heat starting to rise once again inside her. Adora’s eyes darkened as she gazed back at Catra.

“Shut up and _fuck me_.” Adora breathed out, using the fingers still curled in Catra’s hair to pull her down into another heated kiss. Her words shocked Catra for a moment. Adora rarely cursed, so to hear something like _that_ fall so readily from the blonde is a surprise. _It’s also fucking hot._

Catra recovered herself, pulling back with a smirk. “ _Bossy_ ” She whispered as she swung her leg back out from between Adora’s thighs, sliding her hand down over Adora’s sculpted abs to the waistband of her thong. Rather than go straight for her intended target, she ran her hand over the damp fabric, earning another breathy moan from Adora. She could practically feel Adora vibrating beneath her touch. 

“ _Stop... teasing..._ ” Adora panted erratically, grinding herself into Catra’s hand, begging for more friction. Catra, after enjoying watching the blonde beginning to unravel at her touch, finally gave her what she wanted and slid her fingers beneath the damp fabric.

Adora moaned loudly at the contact, Catra’s name spilling from her lips. She slid her finger over Adora’s clit and down, over her folds, gently exploring. Catra could smell Adora’s excitement as well as feel it, the scent intoxicating.

She brought her fingers back to Adoras clit, using two fingers to draw circles over the small bundle of nerves. She set a steady pace, maybe not as quick as she’d use for herself, but an easy rhythm that seemed to fit Adora. It caused the blonde to moan even louder, her breathing becoming more laboured.

Catra dropped her lips back to the nipple she’d been worrying earlier, this time using her teeth to nip firmly, before swirling her tongue over the dark pink skin soothingly.

“ _Hnnn….. Catra!_ ”

At the sound of Adora calling her name, Catra shifted her hand, using her thumb to massage her clit. Using a single finger, she nudged between Adora’s folds and slowly entered her, the bonde groaning in satisfaction.

Catra quickly found a rhythm that worked for Adora, listening to her soft moans and ragged breathing increase as she hit the right pace. When she thought Adora was ready, she gently added a second finger. 

“ _FUCK! CATRA!_ ” Adora threw her head back in ecstasy, eyes clamped shut, the feeling of Catra’s fingers filling her, gently stretching her inner walls almost pushed her over the edge right then. She tried to concentrate on her breathing, torn between holding on for as long as possible and letting go.

Catra seemed to sense Adora was on the verge of falling apart. She brought her lips up to Adora’s jaw, dropping short, sweet kisses along its length, whispering to Adora “Go on baby, cum for me.”

It was too much for Adora to take. The tension in her body peaked as she felt herself falling over the edge.

“ _Oh Gods! I’m gonna cum… Catra, make me cum. Make me cum... CATRA!_ ”

Her entire body spasmed as white hot heat spread throughout, her breath held, eyes clamped shut as she rode the crashing waves of ecstasy.

After what felt like an age, she collapsed back onto the covers, completely spent. She let out a ragged breath, head lolling to one side.

Catra gently withdrew and moved to snuggle up into Adora’s side. Her tail draped across Adora’s stomach, earning a soft chuckle from the sleepy blond. “Tickles…”

Catra just smiled, reaching behind her to grab the corner of the comforter and drape it lazily over them.

Adora finally cracked her eyes open sleepily, finding cobalt and gold watching her. “That was.... Amazing. Thank you.” She blinked slowly, exhaustion replacing the giddy ecstasy from a few minutes before.

“Anytime, princess.” Catra smirked, reaching up to brush a few stray locks of golden hair from Adora’s face. “I love you.”

Adora smiled sleepily, eyes slipping closed. “I love you, too.”

Catra shifted slightly to lay her head on Adora’s chest, a soft purr rising from her chest. The vibrations from Catra’s purr quickly lulled Adora to sleep, her breathing becoming even as she rested. Catra soon followed.

* * *

Catra awoke to sunlight spilling in from the gaps in the hastily drawn curtains. She was still under the comforter, although they had shifted position in the night to lay on the pillows properly.

She reached out to find the space beside her empty. Her eyes shot open as she sat upright, panicking slightly until the scent of bacon wafted in from the kitchen.

She jumped out of bed, throwing on an old UFZ t-shirt that was several sizes too big for her, before padding out to the kitchen. The sight that greeted her filled her with warmth, her tail curling in contentment.

Adora was busy frying bacon and eggs, the coffee machine gurgling away in the corner. Her hair was pulled up in a damp ponytail, and she had on the same clothes she’d worn the day before. She hadn’t noticed Catra yet as she hummed to herself, engrossed in watching the pan sizzling on the hob.

“ _Hey, Adora._ ” Catra yawned lazily, padding over to lean on the kitchen island.

“Morning! Sorry, did I wake you?” Adora glanced up from the pan, a wide smile on her face.

“Yeah, I was missing my bed warmer.” Catra teased.

“Oh, so I’m a bed warmer now, am I?” Adora quirked an eyebrow, flipping a side of bacon in the pan.

“Yup. And a very cute one too.” Catra chuckled as Adora’s cheeks tinged pink.

“Hmmm. It's a good thing I love you.” Adora chided, tipping the bacon onto the waiting plates. She’d said it so casually, it caught Catra off guard for a moment. _She loves me_. Slowly, her face split into a big grin.

“And I love you too, dummy.” 

They stared at each other for a minute, goofy grins on both their faces, their breakfast forgotten. It wasn’t until the coffee machine behind them chirped that they came to their senses.

“Come on,” Catra walked around the island and past Adora to grab some clean mugs from the cabinet, her tail gently brushing over Adora’s hand as she passed. “You grab the food, I’ll grab the coffee.”

* * *

Adora eventually headed home to her own apartment sometime in the early afternoon, claiming the need to go for a run to work off the takeaway they’d ordered in for lunch.

It was early evening and Catra was sat at her desk in her home office. The sun was on the horizon, casting orange light through the window, her computer screen bathing her face in a pale glow. She was trawling through work emails, trying to prep for a client visit in the morning when her phone pinged with a message.

Leaning back in her chair, she grabbed her phone and swiped it open. There were two messages from Adora. She opened the first one, scanning it quickly.

_Hey you, here's the pics from yesterday. Forgot to send them over earlier, sorry! I’m working late tomorrow, but how about dinner at my place later in the week? Just let me know when. Love you! X ❤️❤️❤️_

She rolled her eyes fondly at the blonde's overuse of emoji's, before quickly tapping onto the second message. It was half a dozen pictures from Adora’s phone that Jewelstar had taken after they’d landed. She had obviously just selected them all and sent them over.

Catra scrolled through each one, a soft smile creeping onto her face. When she stopped on the final picture, she felt her breath catch.

It was the two of them stood in front of _Swift Wind_. Catra stood with her arms folded, head resting on Adora’s shoulder, her tail wrapped loosely around her waist. Adora had her arm draped around Catra’s shoulder, but instead of looking at the camera, her eyes were fixed on the Magicat beside her, a warm smile etched on her face.

Catra stared at the photo, taking in the loving look on Adora’s face. The soft smile on her own face as her head rested on Adora, completely oblivious.

Biting her lip slowly, she tapped her phone again, sending the picture to her wireless printer. It chugged to life, quickly spitting the printed image out onto her desk. She stood, tucking her phone into her back pocket, before snatching up the photo and padding over to her easel in the corner. 

Suddenly, her work didn’t seem that important as she tacked the picture to the wall above the small side table that held her supplies.

Adora’s birthday was a few months away, but Catra had just had an idea for what she could give the blonde. She quickly set up a fresh canvas, before remembering she hadn’t replied to Adora’s message yet.

She tugged her phone from her back pocket, a small smile on her lips as she tapped out a quick reply.

_Hey Princess, thanks for the pics. Wednesday sound good for dinner? Love you X_

Tucking her phone away, she stretched her arms over her head, rolling her neck and cracking her knuckles before letting out a content sigh. She glanced at the picture again, a small, determined smirk on her lips.

_Lets do this._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for sticking with me through this. I wasn't sure if or where to split this up into chapters; I wrote it as as single, standalone story, so I figured I'd post it that way. Hopefully it all makes sense. Also, apologies for any inaccuracies; I've never actually been gliding before (too much of a fattie!), but I researched as much as I could. Swift Wind is loosely based on an ASK 21 Glider, for anyone interested.
> 
> This is my first ever story, so any constructive criticism or feedback would be helpful.


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